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Thumb's Up/Thumbs Down: There are lots of opportunities to thank a veteran

Hopefully by now everyone in Wilson County has picked out a favorite Veterans Day event to attend. Maybe for some it will be two or three.

Nov 7, 2013

Hopefully by now everyone in Wilson County has picked out a favorite Veterans Day event to attend. Maybe for some it will be two or three.

From schools to churches and the culmination of the day in a stirring tribute through parade and ceremony, Veterans Day across Wilson County is certainly given the attention it deserves.

Businesses join school officials and other community leaders in honoring those who sacrificed so much for our freedom in America.

Each veteran deserves everything we can muster and more on this and every day. We certainly salute your courage, selflessness and humbleness. Please join us at one or as many events scheduled now through next week as we pay tribute to our heroes.

Mayor’s comparison on raises a bit inappropriate

We’ve gone to great lengths to praise Lebanon Mayor Philip Craighead’s decision last week to veto an ordinance passed by the Lebanon City Council that gives all but a handful of city employees pay raises.

But it was a bit inappropriate for Craighead to compare the council’s decision to that of a sworn oath taken by our nation’s military during service to our country.

“To leave these 20 employees behind to me is much like army service mentality of never leaving a fellow soldier behind on the battlefield,” Craighead said in a statement last week. “This is also totally wrong in that it goes against our own personnel handbook.”

While the jesture was correct, the analogy probably should have been a little more thoughtful.

There’s little doubt Lebanon’s employees are hard-working individuals, but to liken them to soldiers on a battlefield was somewhat extreme.

There’s also little doubt Craighead had a difficult decision to make in executing his right to veto the ordinance. It’s understandable if emotions were running high at the time.

It isn’t our intent to issue a call to action to the mayor, rather, it’s our desire to point out Craighead’s statement should by no means discredit our nation’s fighting soldiers.